Step 11: Safety equipment

Step 12: Freeze

Enjoy freezing temperatures like never before.

Once it's too cold to kitesurf in the water, it's time to find a frozen lake and kite on top of the water. Build a "traditional" Polynesian ice canoe using aluminum extrusion or whatever material you have at hand. If the water ever froze in Polynesia, I'm sure this is what their ice kite/sail craft would look like.

Step 1: Ice kite buggy didn't work so well

Initially, I cut some ice skates out of steel, sharpened them on a belt sander, and bolted them onto Saul's old sand buggy. This ice buggy moved fast, but I felt like I was always being pulled out of the seat by the kite.

Step 2: A brief introduction to kites

All kites fly and generate force within some quarter sphere defined by the kite itself, the pilot, and the conditions. The homemade 9 m2 nasawing, shown here flying above Quaboag pond, flies in an angle a bit greater than 135 degrees; some very efficient foils can push that angle much further.

Step 3: It's all about the edge

To get going on the ice buggy, you edge against the pull of the kite and use only the component of force that points in the direction you want to go. Rarely do you want to be pointed directly at the kite, so the pull of the kite is almost always to the side. Since your feet are used to steer, there isn't much to hold you in the buggy. (Some more advanced buggies have specially designed seat to counteract this problem.)

Step 4: Turn to leeward!

After a full day of ice kiting left me with a sore back and bruised hips (especially after a couple of crashes where I was actually pulled completely out of the ice buggy), it seemed clear I needed a proa type vehicle - something which has a constant windward and leeward side. I wanted to sit with the wind to my back and use my feet to steer and to hold my position in the vehicle.

I think adapting a pair of old hockey skate blades might make this easier to accomplish for those without access to a water jet machine. Making the frame out of 3/4" EMT would be much cheaper. EMT, a hacksaw, nuts and bolts and some intelligent triangulation should get it done. Cut the EMT to desired length, use hammer to flatten ends, drill holes for nuts and bolts (or pop rivets or whatever fasteners you choose).

All that being said, the design shown is very clean and professional looking. Looks great.

I think adapting a pair of old hockey skate blades might make this easier to accomplish for those without access to a water jet machine. Making the frame out of 3/4" EMT would be much cheaper. EMT, a hacksaw, nuts and bolts and some intelligent triangulation should get it done. Cut the EMT to desired length, use hammer to flatten ends, drill holes for nuts and bolts (or pop rivets or whatever fasteners you choose).

All that being said, the design shown is very clean and professional looking. Looks great.

As long as you're not going directly down wind or the wind hasn't died... You use the kite to stop, same as you do for most kite sports. You simply get it powered up in the opposite direction of your momentum, and let it slowly pull you to a stop, then you depower/land... or you end up going that way for a bit and try the same move again.

I live in a place where there isn't that many accessible large bodies of water that get thick ice in the winter (northern NJ). Any way I could possibly replace the skate mechanisms for something like wheels, giving the device land-compatible?

I am a polynesian an i find the name of your project is disrespectful to my culture . This is not traditional to polynesia at all . We have sleds that are traditional in hawaii they are called papaholua .

Am I the only one who thought "Dugout canoe made from a solid block of ice!" after reading the title? Don't get me wrong, iceboats are awesome (living on the great lakes, I've seen my share), but an actual ice hull would be even awesomer. (It's a word, just for today, because I said so.)

They British Royal Navy was going to make a massive aircraft carrier out of pykrete during WWII. For some reason, even though a ship of such immense size was perfectly feasible, the project was scrapped after a small prototype was built and tested. Pykrete is bullet proof (to an extent) and resists melting much more than regular ice.

Even cheaper is PANSH!!!!! YAY PANSH!!!!!! I am designing a buggy for someone who wants a buggy for a paraplegic and I was thinking something along these lines but with a pivoting back rest that had lines going to the footboard and leaning back and forth on the rest would pull and push the board and turning the bug. Any one have any incite? Thanks, NPW i c k

About This Instructable

Bio:Eric J. Wilhelm is the founder of Instructables. He has a Ph.D. from MIT in Mechanical Engineering. Eric believes in making technology accessible through understanding, and strives to inspire others ...read more »